Time i updated the file on Mission Chinese Food.
The chef, Danny Bowein, keeps gathering acclaim. Before he got involved with Anthony Myint and ended up starting Mission Chinese Food, he worked at Farina and won the Pesto World Championship in Genoa. Last fall he was named one of San Francisco’s up-and-coming young chefs, and last month Mission Chinese Food made theChronicle’s Bay Area Top 100 list, a great honor when you consider that he’s competing with folks like Thomas Keller. Here’s an interview with Danny in SF Foodie, back when he was doing Mission Burger.
He keeps updating the menu, and the Eggplant and the Pork Dumpling that i raved about are no more. They’ve been replaced with dishes that recognize his roots. No no, not Korean. Oklahoman. We’re talking back-country barbecue, falling off the bone and served according to tradition on rafts of white bubble bread sodden with delicious drippings. Not on the menu but served most days.
I hadn’t mentioned in my earlier comments, but the art on the walls is not your usual subjects but rather things like an 8 x 10 foot achingly staged equestrian portrait of a group of very high ranking Chinese military officers in full dress uniform. It redefines surreal:
For my latest visit, i took three of the most delightful women i know, my good friends Gloria, Sybil, and Carol (in order of acquaintance). They suggested that i select the food, and since being a food fascist comes readily to me, i quickly acquiesced and ordered as appetizers the Beijing Vinegar Peanuts and the Fresh Tofu. For entrees, the Lion’s Head Meatball, Thrice Cooked Bacon, and Sizzling Cumin Lamb.
We feasted at leisure, Sybil and i getting the additional enjoyment of watching the astonishment of newcomers Gloria and Carol as they experienced food better than they’d dreamed possible.
You owe it to yourself to eat here. It’s crowded at night and they don’t take reservations, but so far you can be seated without a wait at lunch, especially if you get there a bit before noon. The sign outside says “Lung Shan”. Here are the details.